Porsche 997 GT3 RS vs Ferrari 458 Italia

The Porsche 997 GT3 RS 3.8 has a noticeably heavier clutch that most cars

The Ferrari 458 Italia uses a TFT dashboard and takes interior design of cars to the future. Cars with normal analog dials look old fashioned after seeing what is possible with TFT

Ferrari 458 Italia GT2Ferrari 458 Italia Black Interior

The Ferrari changes gears in a fraction of a second with steering wheel mounted paddles and the steering is super direct

The Ferrari 458 Italia uses many aerodynamic aids such as vents, scoops and intakes. The 458 Italia also uses three tail pipe exits which harp back to the F40. The LED lights on the 458 are also futuristic compared to halogen lamps

Ferrari 458 Italia Tan LeatherFerrari 458 Italia Rear Diffuser

The philosophy behind the design of Ferrari 458 Italia is for the driver to keep their hands on the wheel at all times or as much of the time as possible and if the driver’s hands do need to leave the wheel any control should be within a few inches of the steering wheel

Ferrari 458 Italia TFT Dashboard

There is a bizarre quirk about the 458 Italia and that is, you still use a key and you also have to press a button as well to start the car. This is at odds with the rest of the leading edge technology used in the car

The steering is extremely light and responsive and matches the characteristics of the gearbox perfectly. The dual clutch gearbox is super smooth when you are cruising and super fast when you are charging.

The electronic diff (E-Diff) distributes different amounts of torque between the left and right wheels according to various s inputs and works as an LSD. The traction control and E-Diff work so well their interference with the driving experience is imperceptible.

The ride on the Ferrari si quite fidgety but it has good wheel travel which means it does not get knocked of line by bumps

The Ferrari 458 Italia is car that is meant to be driven with the wrists

Driving the Porsche after the Ferrari it feels a bit numb and maybe a bit hard work but it does not take long to get to grips with the analog experience of the GT3. It is in contrast to the digital driving experience of the Ferrari

The Ferrari is more synthetic and the Porsche has more depth of feedback

The Porsche demands more from the driver

The Ferrari is easier to drive, you punch the brakes, click the paddle 3 times, lift off, turn and power. With the Porsche the braking takes more modulation, you need to match the downshifts to engine revs, the brakes have to be dragged into the corner to keep weight over the front axle and then the power can be blended in. There is more to think about with the Porsche.

Which is better? It depends what you are looking for from your car. If you want to go fast easily and a car to be easy to drive everyday, choose the Ferrari.

If you want to a car to envelope you in the process of driving, choose the Porsche.